# Chapter 12

Michael opened his eyes. A strange feeling of deja vu filled him up as he did so. He remembered once waking up in this room. Today though, the bed contained a wireless charger. So his spine device worked as required. Also he was not alone in the bed. Laying oh his arm, there was Alice too. Awake, but with her eyes closed. Smiling from the feeling of a nice morning.

Trying to call Melisa Jessica Denbrook gave no results. It would probably be tough to enter her house. But this didn't stop nobody. They had the perfect cover. Though, house of Melisa Jessica was not near the best possible point for observation. It was still close. The asteroid event should be fantastic.

Everybody brushed their teeth, ate and went to the car. Michael was scared to get inside. He swallowed and made his way towards the car. It was shiny, black. With a thin line of gold wrapped around it. Just the kind of style Mr. Molly liked. Frank was first inside. He sat down and forgot about everybody as he launched a computer interface around him. Alice was standing at the door as Michael was slowly walking towards the car. His heart beat got stronger and stronger as he got closer and closer. His legs were dragging. His breath choppy. He was really scared of the car. But he understood that it's a mere phobia. And that there is not a lot of chance that something will happen today as well.

Finally he entered. "I had a car crash once." - he explained himself to Alice, while trying his best not to remember that unfortunate day, five years ago. She nodded. She figured out that he have been in a car crash. Also he wore the spine device. It was not hard to guess. She didn't dare ask him about it. She thought it might have bring him bad memories. She didn't even know yet that the long lost half-sister of Michael, died in that same car crash.

Mr. Molly was coming to the car also. Carrying Newt on his chest. He slowed himself down for a bit. Looked at the gang inside. Smiled at everybody. And finally entered the car too. He was worried about something. Everybody immediately thought "Melisa Jessica Denbrook".

"You don't have to come in, Dad." - said Alice.

It distracted him from whatever thoughts he had. He said - "Ugh... What?... Er... Yeah!" - and smiled again. Few moments later the car started. Michael jumped with horror, but kept himself silent. They came out of the garage that automatically closed after them and exited onto the same road where the unfortunate turn was. They were already after the turn. Michael looked outside the window. He had an emotion of relief. Like if something was finally done, after all these years.

The road was surprisingly unremarkable. Except of one tiny accident, which was an almost legal suicide attempt by a man named Rufus T. Gordon.

Rufus T. Gordon didn't feel depressed. He was not unhappy. He didn't want to die at all. But he always wanted to experience falling from the mega-structures. He was convinced that medicine is so advanced that he can be saved from absolutely everything. Needless to say, he died.

As the car climbed high in the mega-structures, Frank said - "Hey, look, there!" - and pointed on a figure flying from a very high point as if diving into a pool. Michael noticed that even though they cannot see his face, the man was smiling. This was his dream coming true. Michael suddenly thought that maybe his mission, to see a woman that is somehow blood related to a girl he likes is not a big enough dream. Not something you would literally die for.

Did Rufus T. Gordon made a mistake? Perhaps. But did he die for his dream? Absolutely. He calculated such a spot, where the distance of falling was maximal. There were, of course structures from all sides. But there was also a hole very deep. He flew for one and half minutes. Reaching his terminal velocity in about seventeen seconds. Meeting the ground below at sixty three meters per second. He smashed with so much force that he didn't feel pain. Would he survive he would get arrested for endangering other people that might have been near the landing area. But, quite luckily, there was nobody underneath him on landing. A structure was slightly cracked. But that was fixed few hours later.

Michael didn't stop thinking about this man until they reached the top of the structures. Which suddenly was an even bigger deal than that man. Suddenly you could see the horizon. This kind of majesty was unheard of in those years. Only the richest people lived there. Perhaps a cultural thing. They were saying that it has something to do with a concept called "The Penthouse". Whatever that might have been.

Before opening the door of the car, everybody put on a special mask. There was no oxygen tank. It was a small device compressing air around them into breathable chunk on demand. Newt had a special version of it, made so she could not take it off. Then the door hatched open. Letting out most of the car's air. They came out and Michael could not believe the look. The horizon. It was wast. Even though it was made out of structures and not land, it was beautiful.

The Asteroid, the main event, would happen soon. A thought of possible miscalculation happened through everybody's minds. There was a slight chance that the Asteroid is heading towards earth itself. On the other hand it was a massive rock. Massive enough to cause some gravitational shifts. Would he pass too close by and something terrible would happen. Perhaps a chunk of earth might tear apart. Maybe that man jumped to avoid it? Thought Michael. His mind was suddenly full of realization of ones mortality. What if this is all it? The last day on earth. He looked at Alice who was worried as well.

Sun was setting down. A beautiful play of orange and purple covered the sky. Exactly in-front of where they stood, the moon came up. It was not dark yet. But the moon was already high in the sky. For Michael this was jaw-dropping. He had never seen a sunset before. He seen only the colors that the sky makes when the sun goes down, scattered through the endless structures of the city. Now it was perfectly clear. And it was simply beautiful. The moon was also clearly visible. Michael looked around in aw.

"Here it is!" - screamed Frank, pointing on a point of light in the sky. Alice hugged Michael. Grabbing him in at most worry and wonder. This dot of light was making it's way towards them. Growing slowly in size. It was creeping in and the closer it got, the scarier it was. It was insanity. 

After some time of the dot coming closer it grew larger then the moon. The Asteroid was lit up from the side by the sun. And from the back by the moon. All the rest of it looked transparent, since there was a layer of air between it and the earth. Michael extended one of his hands forward. The rock was the size of his palm. 

All the people that were there at that moment looked at it with aw as it was slowly passing by. And there it was. The Asteroid harmlessly passed by and rode into the sunset. It was a performance. And in the end, the Asteroid saluted the public by disappearing in the orange rays. For a few minutes a half a ring of light was visible. It was the only part of the asteroid that was lit brighter than the sky. And then, even it disappeared.

Michael had tears on his face. Suddenly, as it was all over, he noticed that his arms hurt. Alice hugged him so tight that it squeezed him. She was in aw. Frank was speechless. Newt was silent. Mr. Molly, as always, had something to say. "Well, this was something." - he said - "I bet, your mom didn't even bother getting out of the house."

"Dad!" - frowned Alice.

"Remember, you promised me that I am not coming." - said Johnathan nervously. Alice nodded. Frank, though, smiled. "I didn't promise you anything." - he said. This made Michael giggle a bit. There it was. The danger of all dangers. The time for the meeting with Melisa Jessica Denbrook.
